In the early days, he remembers having no idea what he was doing. He wore dress slacks and a T-shirt to his first show. He didn’t know proper handling technique then, either. But he didn’t quit.

Now Banghart, of Greeley, wears a suit when he shows his chow chows. It’s important, he said, to dress up as much as he dresses up his dog.

He showed his dog, Topper, Sunday morning at the Evergreen Kennel Club dog show at Island Grove Regional Park.

Banghart and his wife chose to breed chows because they liked how independent and intelligent they are. They’ll come over for a quick pet and then move just out of reach, Banghart said, yet they’re obedient and loyal.

He and his wife have bred 83 champion chows, he said. For him, it’s all about working to improve the breed.

“You have to be careful with their eyes and with their breathing,” Banghart said.

Banghart hopes more young people get involved in shows. He looked around Sunday and noticed a lot of gray hair, he said.

Breeding and showing dogs doesn’t have an immediate pay off, Banghart said, as it takes about four or five years to get good at it.